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The Role of Threshold Concepts in an Interdisciplinary Curriculum: a Case Study in Neuroscience

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Abstract

Threshold concepts have been widely utilized to understand learning in academic disciplines and student experiences in a disciplinary curriculum. This study considered how threshold concepts might operate within an interdisciplinary setting. Data were collected through interviews with 40 doctoral students enrolled in an interdisciplinary program as well as content analysis of interdisciplinary curricula. The findings emphasize the importance of the integrative process to interdisciplinary initiatives. Interdisciplinary threshold concepts do not result from the addition of multiple disciplines, but rather are fostered through unique facets of the interdisciplinary experience.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Higher Education Program, The University of Alabama, Box 870302, 323C Graves Hall, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487-0302, USA

    Karri A. Holley

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  1. Karri A. Holley
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Correspondence to Karri A. Holley.

Appendix 1: Interview Protocol

Appendix 1: Interview Protocol

  1. 1.

    Tell me about your undergraduate degree experiences (and master’s degree, if applicable).

  2. 2.

    Why did you apply to a doctoral program in neuroscience?

  3. 3.

    What do you think is interdisciplinary about the field of neuroscience?

  4. 4.

    How would you define the field of neuroscience?

  5. 5.

    What have been your experiences with a) the required first year courses, b) the required laboratory rotations, and c) the course electives?

  6. 6.

    What knowledge would you expect all Ph.D.s in neuroscience to have?

  7. 7.

    What has been the most challenging course for you? Why?

  8. 8.

    Tell me about your faculty advisor. In what department is s/he located? How does that impact your experiences?

  9. 9.

    Tell me about your peers in your research laboratory. Are they also in the neuroscience program? If not, in what program are they?

  10. 10.

    In what journals do you foresee publishing?

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Holley, K.A. The Role of Threshold Concepts in an Interdisciplinary Curriculum: a Case Study in Neuroscience. Innov High Educ 43, 17–30 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-017-9408-9

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